Review: Kate Somerville Self-Tanner for the Face and Body

I'm back for another self-tanner review and this time the products come from Kate Somerville! I've been a long-time fan of the Kate Somerville's self-tanners (amongst other skin-care items of theirs), so I was excited to try them again as it’s been a while. I was first introduced to their self-tanners several years back when I showed them off on a local morning show, everyone wanted to steal mine because of how easy they were to apply.

First, let’s see what the brand promises these will do.

Kate Somerville 360° Face Self Tanning Pads($45)

• Streak-free application due to the unique sleeve applicator and built in exfoliator.
• Coverage that doesn’t stain hands.
• Subtle tan for a natural glow.
• Paraben-free formula.
• Long-lasting hydration and Peptide K8™ Complex to even out skin tone and help with fine lines and wrinkles.

Kate Somerville 360° Tanning Towelettes(8 pack $48.00/16 pack $75.00)

• Natural sun-kissed glow that gradually darkens.
• Paraben-free formula with tea tree extract, cucumber, and vitamin E.
• Easy application that prevents streaking and uneven color.

Now, let me dive into my experience with these two self-tanning products. As always, before I apply self-tanners, I do some serious exfoliation. My face is always exfoliated pretty well because it's part of my daily routine, but for my body, I used Kate Somerville ExfoliKate ($22). It's a fantastic exfoliation product to use before a self-tanner because it sloughs off dead skin cells. I keep mine in the shower and even use it on days when I am not doing a self-tanner because it has pumpkin and papaya enzymes as well as buffing beads. This combination of exfoliators makes your body feel like butter (in a good way).

After I exfoliated and dried my face and body really well, I opened up one packet of the face tanning pads. Each pad already contains the self-tanning solution, so you just have to place two fingers in the sleeve on the back and apply it to your face in a circular motion. I made sure to cover my face and neck thoroughly because, even though the brand promises no streaking, I don't want to take any chances. After all, it is my face!

I applied the face tanning pad at night so that I could keep my skin clean and makeup-free for several hours and woke up to a slightly more bronzed face. The self-tanning results on my face weren’t very dramatic on the first round because it's a gradual self-tanner. So the more rounds of tanner I do, the darker my skin will get. I don't like my skin to be overly bronzed, so the results of this first round were perfect for me. Here's the finished result:

Next, I opened up one packet of the body tanning towelettes, unfolded it and applied it to my arm in a circular motion. I started at the top of my arm and worked my way down until I felt like everything was even. There is a ton of self-tanner on these towelettes, so one is good enough for your entire body.

You just need to be sure to wash your hands right after the application, otherwise it will stain them. The brand recommends to wash your hands just with water and no soap. Unfortunately, I missed the memo on the soap part and ended up washing the self-tanner completely off on my hands.

Regardless, I went to bed feeling like I had done a rockstar job with the application part. I woke up with beautifully bronzed arms, but my hands were white because I had washed the tanner off. Oops! Besides that, I loved the natural glow this self-tanner gave me, and there were no streaks or blotches anywhere. Also, I didn't notice any gross smell with this self-tanner.

(Note: Tanner is on the arm with the tattoo.)

Kate Somerville doesn’t really give an exact time frame as to how long the results are supposed to last. My results lasted for about three days on my face and four on my body before I felt like I needed to re-apply. That’s after taking showers and doing my daily skincare routine, which includes my daily exfoliator.

Now for the verdict.

The Positives:

• No streaking or blotchiness except for where I washed away the self-tanner on my hands.
• I like the easy application process.
• Perfect for travel or tucking away in a purse.
• Loved the natural glow for a soft-bronzed look.
• Great for light to medium skin tones.

The Negatives:

• I wish that the body towelettes were made like the face pads.
• They're more expensive, but they are high quality.

In the end, I still am a fan of the Kate Somerville self-tanning line. I think that these products are perfect for women and men on the go. I also love that they aren’t just tanning products--they have other healthy skin benefits to them as well like vitamin E and Kate's Peptide K8™ Complex. Since I'm a skincare freak, it makes sense to use a self-tanning product that takes care of my skin too. And since they're so convenient for when I travel, these will never leave my beauty closet.

If you didn’t catch my last self-tanner review, check out my thoughts on the Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse!